The Return: A Rhapsody - Tao Yuanming (2019)

Extract

[...] He is controversial, nonetheless, because Yuanming first leaves the village to escape poverty but upon his return, he insists that he has no desire for riches. He has no expectation of heaven either but rather, to walk alone one fine morning while climbing the east hill and whistling. Nonetheless, his lover for nature and the tranquility of the village remains unwavering from the beginning to the end of the poem. In summary, The Return: A Rhapsody highlights the adult life of Yuanming and the struggles that people faced during the civilization era in China. [...]

[...] In the first few lines, he explains the need to return home because his garden and fields are probably overgrown. `It was my own doing that made my mind my body's slave' (Yuanming Line 4). The poet is aware that it is not possible to remedy the past, although he sees some hope in the future. It is paradoxical to contemplate a village life that is filled with hunger and poverty because of the environment and working conditions that an individual is exposed to. At the same time, however, he showcases the value of being decisive in life. [...]

[...] The Return: A Rhapsody - Tao Yuanming (2019) Tao Yuanming writes The Return: A Rhapsody immediately after retiring from official work. He was one of the few Chinese nationals who held an official position in government during the early civilization period. He is haunted by memories of his past and in his old age, he does not see any change in life. He construes an official government position as the key to life's questions but ironically, he does not enjoy his freedom from the contentment of working as a government official. [...]

[...] The poem expresses the love for family because Yuanming his willing to break off all his friendships in a bid to have honest conversations with his family. However, the writing also emerges as controversial because he contemplates the enjoyment of loneliness in the long run and besides, he asserts that he has no desire for riches. Works Cited Yuan, Xingpei. "Tao Yuanming: A Symbol of Chinese Culture." Journal of Chinese Literature and Culture 1.1-2 (2014): 216-240. Yuanming, Tao. `Chapter 11: Tao Yuanming (365-427). The Gentleman of the Five Willow Trees. (n.d). [...]

[...] May my friendships be broken off and my wonderings come to an end. Here I enjoy honest conversations with my family. (Yuanming Lines 35 and 38). The lines in the poem indicate that Yuanming prefers family to friendships because he is capable of holding honest conversations with his people (Yuan 218). He asks a rhetorical question as to what should he seek if he were to go abroad again. Interestingly, books denote civilization, and he finds pleasure in reading his books but he is also running away from the same civilization. [...]